Beauty and the Beast: Is the New CW Series Worth Watching?

by Trevor Kimball, October 11, 2012

The CW has given their new Beauty and the Beast TV series a great timeslot, following their most-popular show, The Vampire Diaries. On the negative side, it’s also airing opposite seriously tough competition — Glee, Person of Interest and Grey’s Anatomy. Can it compete? Is it even worth watching?

In this version of the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast, a young girl is saved from being murdered by a mysterious creature/human. Years later, as a homicide detective (Kristin Kreuk), she comes face to face with her mysterious savior (Jay Ryan). He ends up helping her solve crimes while she helps keep his identity a secret. The cast also includes Nina Lisandrello, Brian White, Max Brown, Nicole Gale Anderson, and Austin Basis.

Sound like it’s worth your time? Before you decide, take a look at what some of the critics think:

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: “It’s tough to imagine how anyone could make a more ham-fisted wreck of a remake of 1980s CBS fantasy series Beauty and the Beast than The CW’s effort, debuting on Pittsburgh’s WPCW tonight at 11:30 after the Steelers game… The CW’s Beauty is laughably bad in myriad ways. There’s no sense of star-crossed lovers, just a plasticized romance between a Cover Girl and a glum, anger-prone male model.”

LA Times: “None of the which is even as mildly interesting as it sounds, and, indeed, I grew weary even as I watched, despite Kreuk’s hypnotic eyes, the broody lighting and roiling soundtrack. It is all so dreadfully familiar — the lovely, headstrong and feisty heroine, the nice guy who wants her (in this case, the medical examiner played by Max Brown) and the broken bad boy she loves instead… One can only hope that this marks the last limping leg of the inter-species romance, because in real life, true love should not include a partner whose first instinct is to kill you.”

Boston Globe: “Last season, ABC’s Once Upon a Time and NBC’s Grimm proved that there is an appetite for updated fairy tales. The CW has taken the hint, and contrived this pretty, and pretty empty, series. It’s a market move, nothing more.”

Salt Lake Tribune: “I’m not sure I have the words to describe just how bad The CW’s Beauty and the Beast is. I’ve only been doing this for 22½ years, after all… The first episode of this Beauty and the Beast remake isn’t entirely devoid of entertainment value. But laughing at this show — not with it — wears off before long. Bad is bad, and this is terrible.”

Hollywood Reporter: “Only The CW would take a super hunky dude who would make most women swoon and call him a Beast because he’s got a couple of cuts on his face that, strangely enough, make him magnetically more attractive to other beautiful people. That is either awesome or messed up, or awesomely messed up. Because The CW doesn’t even get it. If the network got it, someone would have said, ‘Hey, guys, this is ridiculous even by our standards. You know that, right?'”

USA Today: “There’s a murder solved in tonight’s opener, but the murderer is so obvious, it’s hardly worth worrying about. Odds are you’ll spend more energy trying to decide whether Kreuk and Ryan are more sinning than sinned against: They’re terrible, but the material may have left them with no other option. Luckily, in this world of 1,000 channels, you have plenty of other options. Exercise one.”

What do you think? Have you seen the new Beauty and the Beast TV series? If so, will you watch again?

Jay Ryan is one hunk of a guy with expressive eyes and a great body. He cleaned up very well and seems like he knows how to plant a kiss as there was tongue action in some of the shots. I liked the romance of the series for the first two seasons. Some really great one liners by JT and of course Cat has beautiful eyes. Once they could walk the streets and live like normal folks, Cat was not content. I actually felt sorry for Vincent. Here was a guy that had lost everything and spent 10 years living… Read more »

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May 19, 2019 3:31 am

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diane

love this show

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November 12, 2014 2:29 pm

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ann

Yes, I will watch this show. I’ve watched it from the beginning and it takes you to a fantasy like place. Its way better then watching another realty series, cant stand those shows with the lives of families plastered all over.
I think you have to find the right spot for the show and keep it going. I love the main characters. I’m in my mid 60’s and look forward to a new season

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October 9, 2014 9:21 am

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Cathy Meadows

I love Beauty and the beast. I never miss it. Please don’t take it off the air.

i love the cw’s beauty and the beast it’s so hot and so awsome
the show is cool, silly and it makes you smile it’s romantic and it makes you feel warm and good inside jay ryan makes you believe that you don’t need good looks to find someone who will see you as you are and still fall head over heels in love with you
please don’t cancel beauty and the beast bring it back for another season please
i want a second season please can you please put the first season on dvd too please!!!!

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April 8, 2013 7:25 pm

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Cherrylyn

The first time I watched beauty and the beast I was hooked in an instant. I never been so enticed in a movie series before. I have watched other movie series in cw and honestly they’re all great but it just passed away in my mind after 1 and 2 days after watching. But beauty and beast really imprints and cause me to want more of it like I don’t want to end each episode. No matter what others views are… I love watching it and re watching . I hope they’ll continue for more seasons.

this 21century version has its own way of trying to catherine and vincent together.

it needs a chance… give it a chance.

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February 27, 2013 3:02 pm

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Kat

I’m TOTALLY agree on what Sue wrote in his precedent post, I LOVE this show I’m completely obsessed with and I’m not just a 20 years old young woman… I’m much older and I really love the romance of that show! I really hope it will be renewed for a second season! 🙂

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February 24, 2013 1:18 pm

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Sue

I am also totally hooked on this show. I also can’t wait from week to week for the next episode. The chemistry between Cat and Vincent keeps you wanting more. I am also looking forward to the time they finally hook up. Vincent’s sexuality is unsurpassed. Please, please don’t cancel this show. It is nice to have a show like this to watch, since there is so many boring and stupid reality TV shows on these days that TV is hardly worth watching anymore.

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February 17, 2013 10:10 am

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Heather Witherell

I love this show!! Please give us a season 2!!!

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February 15, 2013 10:32 am

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Sandra

BATB is a beautiful love story as well as a plot driven drama. Even now, 8 years later, after 4 seasons I still watch them over and over. For all you hopeless romantics out there, don’t miss out, you won’t be disappointed.